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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · craft · roll · current · club · rash · fork · fan

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. roll — a cake
  3. craft — a skill
  4. club — for golf
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fork — in a road
  8. current — of water
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — a group
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — completely
  15. club — for dancing
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. current — electric
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. roll — a list
  21. current — happening now
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com